Much to the torture of NSW authorities, the state recorded 633 new COVID-19 cases to 8pm overnight, a grim milestone to date and a new daily record.
As if the new record was not torturous enough for the authorities, at least 62 of those cases were in the community while infectious.
“What the data is telling us in the last few days is that we haven’t seen the worst of it,” Ms Berejiklian said.
More than 102,000 tests were received in the past 24 hours.
Of today’s 633 new cases, 550 are primarily young people from Sydney’s west and south-west.
Merrylands, Guildford, Auburn, Greenacre and St Marys have been listed as the sites of greatest risk.
NSW has also recorded 3 more deaths in the past 24 hours, including a man in his late 60s and two men in their late 70s. All three of them died in hospitals.
Currently there are 462 COVID-19 cases in NSW hospitals. Of those, 77 are in intensive care and 25 require ventilation.
Also read: Vic lockdown 6.0 extended until September 2
Slow vaccine rollout in regional NSW
The NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has blamed the Federal Government for the slow roll out of the coronavirus vaccine to Indigenous communities as the virus spreads through regional areas of the state.
Approximately 60 per cent of the 116 cases recorded in the region are Indigenous, with only 9 per cent of Indigenous residents there fully vaccinated.
“Vulnerable communities were part of the 1A roll-out which was the responsibility of the Federal Government,” Mr Barilaro told Channel Nine’s Today program.
“That didn’t occur. We know their responsibility, their focus and priority was also our aged-care facilities and we know there has been gaps there. Now we are reacting.”
Mr Barilaro said the spread of the virus in rural and remote areas was “concerning”.
“I expect it to spike and I expect to it continue to be a problem and that is why we locked down all of regional and rural NSW, because it was the only way we could contain this,” he said.
“It is lessons learnt from what occurred here in Sydney.”
In Greater Sydney, the highest areas of concern are the west and south-western areas as coronavirus cases continue to climb despite the tightening of restrictions.
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